allah! if it please God! you shall know all things. I have heard of the sacrifice you speak of; I have read of it too; but the law, you know, my son, would punish such bad deeds. God forbid I should be guilty of any such !' "Min Allah! Abou Rassed,' I replied, 'Heaven forbid you should !'"

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Michelaki, who was the picture of horror, no less shocked by the abominable doctrine promulgated by the pagan than by the inhuman rite ascribed to his worship, here interrupted the Dervish. "To-morrow, if it please Heaven," continued the Greek, you will finish your history; to-day, we have a thousand logs of wood to pile before sunset."-The Dervish groaned in spirit, vented a few of his customary execrations on his gaolers, and dragged his unwilling limbs to the place of work.

CHAPTER VIII.

By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes,
Open locks, whoever knocks.

Macbeth.

THE following day the Dervish continued

his story in these words :- -"I soon found out I was in the house of a star-gazer, who watched not the planets-of a physician, who practised without physic-of a fortune-teller, who was most unfortunate in his affairs-of a Zabian, who believed the world to be eternal, and was yet content to live from hand to mouth.

"All the learning of the astrologer was derived from books. The emblems of the heavenly bodies were alone consulted, and horoscopes were made from these with as much accuracy as if they had been taken from the

stars themselves. Every morning he had two or three women at his door to consult him about lost property, to buy a charm to become fruitful, or to purchase an amulet, to lay a spell on an indifferent husband, or a cold lover. On these occasions, I always retired to my closet, fearful of the consequences of being known to be an inmate in the house of a pagan star-gazer. But I had a still stronger inducement. I could distinctly hear all that passed between the astrologer and his customers, and through a chink in the window-shutter could even see their faces. One morning, an old lady of fifty came to beg a philtre, to regain her lord's affections, which had fallen on another wife, a giggling inexperienced creature of seventeen. ‘O hakkim!" said she, every body

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venerates your beard, may your science never fail! I have heard of your wonderful doings: how the pipe-borer's wife was blessed with twins, after consulting you; how the whole harem of my husband's brother became fat and beautiful, after procuring one of your charms. I have five piastres to offer you, give me something, I pray you, by your soul! to make my

husband love me ;-there is no Moslem here; -look at my face: tell me, by your eyes! are these features to be despised? are these two suns deprived of fire? is there no beauty in my two black eyebrows? is there no loveliness in my nose, no sweetness in my lips? O tell me, hakkim, why have I fallen into disfavour? is it as I suspect? has my rival, that baby-faced girl, cast a spell on my once loving spouse? Tell me, O hakkim! and give me a charm to regain his affections, which I only am worthy to possess.'

"Her veil was still uplifted, while she waited for the reply of Abou Rassed. Next to the Imam's wife, she was the ugliest woman alive; the long use of cosmetics had seared her shrivelled features, and the nose, whose loveliness she dwelt on, I could compare to nothing earthly but the beak of the monstrous bird Simorg. Abou Rassed raised his pipe to the ceiling, and following the circle of the Zodiac, he went through every sign till he reached that of the capricorn, and passing the pipe-stick over either horn, he pronounced her husband's name three times in an awful voice. Then ad

dressing the once-loved wife- Oh, Narcissus!" he exclaimed, what art thou in comparison with this languishing eye! this lid of beauty only slumbers, but thou art sick and faint. Is the musk of Hadramut impaired by keeping? does it not dispense its fragrance all around, and diminishes not a grain ? Is the pearl of Oman less beautiful when strung, than it was twenty years ago, when hidden in a shell? Can time coutrol the lustre of the stars? can years swallow up the beauty of the moon? No, beautiful Lady! what gives the mellow amber of perfection to the wine of Cyprus; what gives a blossom every century to the aloe; what gives vigour to the oak, maturity to the olive, and beauty to the almond, likewise gives, O fair Sultana! experience to pleasure, softness to beauty, and gratitude to love! Dry up your tears, you have no cause for sorrow; this amulet bind over your forehead, wash off the vermilion from your cheeks, and the antimony from your eyes, and use nothing to your face for three days and nights but the balm of Mecca. Not that it is necessary in itself, the amulet being all-sufficient,